The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Rod Black is leaving TSN after three decades with the network and a 40-year career in sports media. Hailing from Winnipeg, Black started his career at CKY-TV, the local CTV affiliate where he hosted Winnipeg Jets broadcasts and CKY Sports Sunday, among other programming. A five-time Gemini Award nominee, Black’s extensive resume includes play-by-play for the CFL on TSN, as well as hosting golf, the NBA on TSN, international hockey, and figure skating. Black also did a turn as a co-host on Canada AM. Read more here.

Paul Hambleton, Director of CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices, will move on from CBC News early in the new year. Hambleton has been with the public broadcaster for almost 30 years and in his current role since Jan. 2019. Over that time, he’s held positions from Managing Editor of CBC Newfoundland to Executive Producer, National Newsgathering. Hambleton faced controversy earlier this year after calls for his removal following his response to a tweet about Don Cherry from then-CBC Manitoba employee Ahmar Khan. 

Treena Wood is stepping down from her role as News Director for CBC British Columbia. Wood has been with the public broadcaster since Jan. 2018. She previously served as National Format Director, News, for Rogers Radio and was News Director at News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver.

Norm Edwards has retired from AM 740 Zoomer Radio (CFZM-AM) Toronto. Edwards, the station’s longest serving on-air host, had his final shift as co-host of The Afternoon Express on Friday, Oct. 15. Edwards has been in broadcasting for over 45 years, 21 of those at Zoomer Radio. 

Amy Aust is sliding into the afternoon drive position at Central Ontario Broadcasting’s 107.5 Kool FM (CKMB-FM) Barrie. Aust, who was part of Bell Media layoffs in February at Pure Country 106 (CICX-FM) Orillia, has most recently been hosting middays on Corus station 95.1 The Peak (CKCB-FM) Collingwood, in addition to hosting weekends on Fresh Radio 93.1 (CHAY-FM) Barrie.

Ben McCully has been picked up by Central Ontario Broadcasting’s Rock 95 (CFJB-FM) Barrie, where he’ll be filling in on afternoon drive for Randy Richards, who is on medical leave. McCully parted ways with 97.7 Max FM (CHGB-FM) Collingwood in April, where he’d been hosting the morning show for the last five years.

Stuart Walker has been released from Acadia Broadcasting’s 89.5 The Lake (CJRL-FM) Kenora, ON after two and a half years as a reporter with the station. Walker is also the broadcast manager for the U18 AAA Kenora Thistles. 

Devon Banfield has signed on as the new Executive Producer of the The Brandon Gonez Show. A 2020 Seneca College Multimedia Broadcasting grad, Banfield has previously worked as an anchor and reporter with 660 News (CFFR-AM) Calgary.

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What you need to know today, October 14, 2021!

1. Quebec Loses Game of Chicken with Healthcare Workers
2. Toronto Teachers in Trouble for Wearing Masks
3. Free News Bootcamp! @googlecanada @LIONPubs

APPLY: https://t.co/2ILb4v7LPn pic.twitter.com/EDBNkulYCn

— The Brandon Gonez Show (@brandongonez) October 14, 2021

Tamara Khandaker is leaving her role as host of The Globe & Mail weekday podcast, The Decibel. The former producer of CBC Podcasts’ Party Lines and past host of Global News’ daily pod Wait There’s More, has been with The Globe for the past eight months. The Decibel launched in May.

Rebecca Zamon has joined The Globe and Mail as Manager of its Audience Growth team. Zamon held a similar role with HuffPost Canada up until this past March when the publication’s Canadian operation was shuttered.

Brandon Grosvenor has been appointed as Torstar’s new Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for advertising sales revenue across the organization. Prior to joining Torstar in 2015 as a consultant and interim EVP, Advertising, Grosvenor held executive sales and marketing roles with Microsoft, Postmedia, Sun Media, CanWest and Yellow Pages.

Fiona Gilfillan will be the new Executive Director of Telecommunications at the CRTC, effective Nov. 15. Gilfillan has most recently served as Assistant Deputy Minister at Innovation, Science, and Economic Development/Innovation Canada (ISED), responsible for the management of spectrum, ICT and telecom security, and equipment standards and certification. She did a prior stint with the CRTC as Associate Executive Director of Telecommunications in 2006-07. She succeeds Ian Baggley, who has acted in the role on an interim basis since Chris Seidl’s departure in July.

François Gratton, Executive Vice-president, TELUS, and Group President, TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture, will leave his current role to assume the roles of non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors of TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture at the end of the year. Gratton has has been with TELUS for 20 years, holding senior leadership roles including President, TELUS Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces.

Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill has been promoted at the National Screen Institute (NSI) from Indigenous program coordinator to program manager. In her new role, she’ll now manage CBC New Indigenous Voices and co-manage the inaugural TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators. For the past three years, Simpson-Yellowquil has worked alongside former program manager Kaya Wheeler, who is now Outreach and Program Coordinator with the Indigenous Screen Office.

Kirstine Stewart has joined the Board of Directors of regulated sports betting and media company, Rivalry Corp., along with Stephen Rigby, the former President and CEO of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Stewart, a former CBC and Twitter executive, was most recently Head of the Future of Media at the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she worked with the CEOs and Chairs of companies like Bytedance, Facebook, NBCU and Google. She is currently the CRO of digital rights tech company, Pex, which is backed by Tencent, among other investors.

RADIO & PODCAST:

Pattison Media unveiled its CHIQ-FM rebrand at 1 p.m. CT Monday, introducing 94.3 NOW! Radio to Winnipeg. As reported by Broadcast Dialogue last week, the move was anticipated as cryptic “NOW” billboards began to pop up around the city, accompanied by the release of the entire 94.3 The Drive talent lineup, the Classic Rock format the station had carried since 2016. Leading the on-air lineup on the new-to-Winnipeg Hot AC format are Alyssa Petryshyn, former morning show co-host at Pattison’s Big 105.5 (CHUB-FM) Red Deer, alongside Luca James in mornings; Marika Friesen, former swing announcer at 102.3 Now! Radio (CKNO-FM) Edmonton, in middays; and Zap Davids, former morning show host at Zed 98.9 (CIZZ-FM) Red Deer, in afternoon drive. Chris Ash, former afternoon drive announcer at Kool FM (CKMB-FM) Barrie, and Kalie MacIntosh, former afternoon drive host and music director with Vista’s 106.1 The GOAT (CKLM-FM) Lloydminster, will be heard evenings and weekends. Program Director Ray Camphu, who previously held multiple roles with Pattison in Edmonton, will lead the 94.3 NOW! Radio team. Read more here.

In the meantime, Pattison Media is recruiting for a more permanent morning show for the station with Camphu telling Broadcast Dialogue that Alyssa & Luca were originally hired to host afternoon drive. “We couldn’t secure the right morning show in time for launch,” Camphu told us in an email. “We decided to launch with A+L in mornings and restart the morning show recruitment process after launch once we could do so more openly.”

Rawlco Radio’s CHUP-FM Calgary has rebranded from Soft Rock 97.7 to C97.7, focused on hits from the ‘90s to now. Kent Newson, 97.7 Vice President/General Manager, said Rawlco sees the format flip as a way of making the station more appealing to the large number of listeners who grew up in the ‘90s and early 2000s, and women aged 30-60, a lucrative consumer segment. CHUP-FM had held the Soft Rock 97.7 branding since 2015 when it flipped from adult hits format, Up! 97.7.

The 20th Annual CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon took to the airwaves on Oct. 16, raising $506,053.83 in support of 12 midwestern Ontario hospital foundations. Continuing with a virtual format again this year, donations were accepted during the all-day broadcast on AM920, also heard intermittently on 101.7 The One (CKNX-FM) and CoOL 94-5 (CIBU-FM). Among the projects funded through this year’s Radiothon are x-ray machines, an ultrasound unit, cardiac monitors, an anesthetic gas machine and a mammography digital imaging machine. Since its inception in 2002, the event has raised nearly $13 million in support of quality health care for rural hospitals.

Corus Entertainment’s Curiouscast has debuted Season 4 of Crime Beat. Led by veteran Global Calgary crime reporter Nancy Hixt, the format has also been adapted for TV, currently in its third season on Global. Crime Beat Season 4 dives into some of the high-profile cases she has worked on, with the first episode looking at the 2014 disappearance of five-year-old Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents. Since its debut in March 2019, the podcast has received 11 million downloads and been recognized with the 2020 Edward R. Murrow Award for Best International Podcast, in addition to a nomination from the People’s Choice Podcast Awards.

Broadcast Dialogue is pleased to announce our jury for the 2021 Canadian Radio Awards, presented by HD Radio. This year’s judging panel includes former Rogers Radio executive Chuck McCoy; legendary CHFI Toronto morning show co-host Erin Davis; TV and radio news veteran Lynda Steele, who most recently hosted afternoon drive on CKNW Vancouver; former MuchMusic VJ, radio host, and voiceover talent Michael Williams; Broadcast Hall of Famer and retired CHOM morning man Terry DiMonte; Radio Connects President Caroline Gianias; East Coast programmer/producer and NSCC audio instructor Trevor Wallworth; National Campus & Community Radio Association Executive Director Barry Rooke; and award-winning consultant Jaye Albright. Read more here. Stay tuned for our winners announcement in early November.

TV & FILM:

Aeon Studio Group has released the first architectural renderings of its Hamilton Studio District. The live-work-play community for the creative industries – encompassing film, television, gaming, animation and music – is planned for the Barton-Tiffany lands in Hamilton’s West Harbour, the cornerstone of a plan to further build Hamilton into a centre for film, TV and digital media production. Intended to prompt conversation with the community, over the next several months Aeon will host a series of open-to-the-public meetings and launch a dedicated website to collect ideas, concerns and understand community priorities. Aeon’s plan creates a retail corridor of storefronts at street level, on Barton, Caroline and Tiffany streets, with an outdoor public plaza at the heart of the district. Aeon says it will have marshalled investments exceeding $20 million in the Barton Tiffany lands and surrounding area by the end of this calendar year. 

Deborah Chow has been recognized with this year’s DGC Visionary Award, by the St. John’s International Film Festival (SJIWFF), and the Directors Guild of Canada. Chow, DGC Ontario Director, has had a directing career that includes work on The Mandalorian, American Gods, The Man in the High Castle, Better Call Saul and Reign. She also directed all six episodes of highly-anticipated Disney+ mini-series Obi-Wan Kenobi, set to premiere in 2022. As the recipient of this award, Chow was tasked with choosing an emerging director to receive the ‘pay-it-forward’ prize, which gives the filmmaker a $2,000 cash prize to go towards their next project. She nominated DGC BC Director and actor Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, whose 2021 documentary Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, won awards at Hot Docs and DOXA. She also stars in Danis Goulet’s Night Raiders, now playing in theatres.

Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) successfully closed its 40th edition by announcing this year’s award winners. Best Canadian Film went to Sin La Habana (Kaveh Nabatian) with Special Mention to Drunken Birds (Ivan Grbovic). Best Canadian Documentary was won by Returning Home from director Sean Stiller; while BC Emerging Filmmaker went to Trevor Mack of Portraits From a Fire. Best BC Film was won by Handle With Care: The Legend of the Notic Streetball Crew from directors Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux and Kirk Thomas.

Boss & Co and Portfolio Entertainment have begun production on new CBC Gem YA dramedy series, Homeschooled (10×15). Created, directed, and executive produced by Karen Knox and Gwenlyn Cumyn (Slo Pitch, Barbelle), Homeschooled explores the world of home education as mainstream and fringe teen experiences collide in a unique coming-of-age tale. Production will continue in Toronto and Hamilton until early November, with the series set to start streaming on CBC Gem in 2022. Producing for Boss & Co is Michael Schram, and producing for Portfolio is Lauren Evans, with Lisa Olfman and Joy Rosen serving as Executive Producers. Marushka Almeida (Get Up, Aisha) rounds out the writing team alongside Knox and Cumyn.

Overlord and the Underwoods (20×30), an original live action, single-camera family comedy from Canadian writer Anthony Q. Farrell (NBC’s The Office, CBBC’s Secret Life of Boys) and co-creator Ryan Wiesbrock (Buddy Thunderstruck, Holly Hobbie), will land on CBC Gem on Halloween weekend. It follows the Underwoods, a North American family whose life is turned upside down when their distant cousin, Overlord, the second most-wanted villain in the universe, seeks refuge in their home after being forced into intergalactic witness protection. The series will premiere in two parts, with the first 10 episodes available to stream beginning Oct. 29, and the remaining episodes in Winter 2022. Produced by marblemedia and Cloudco Entertainment and filmed in Southern Ontario, the series features an ensemble cast including Patrice Goodman (Slasher, Sunnyside), Darryl Hinds (Second City, Little Mosque on the Prairie), Ari Resnick (Odd Squad, Clearwater Kids), Kamaia Fairburn (Endlings, Starfalls), Jayne Eastwood (Hey Lady!), Troy Feldman (Lord of the Rings musical) and Jann Arden as the voice of “R0-FL” — a droid that has spent most of her life by Overlord’s side.

Roku is bringing upcoming CTV Original comedy Children Ruin Everything exclusively to the The Roku Channel in the U.S. The new half-hour comedy from the producers of Letterkenny will join the Roku Originals programming slate in 2022 in a new agreement with New Metric Media. Created by Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Kurt Smeaton (Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience), Children Ruin Everything is about living with the worst roommates of all: young children. It stars Meaghan Rath (Being Human, Hawaii 5-0) and Aaron Abrams (Blindspot, Hannibal). Chuck Tatham (Modern Family, Arrested Development) and Mark Montefiore (Letterkenny, What Would Sal Do?) are executive producers, with Beth Iley (Killjoys) serving as producer.

LISTEN: Women in Film and Television – Canada Coalition (WIFT-CC) in conjunction with Reel Families for Change, has released the results of its Family Care Report—a cross-Canada survey highlighting how the pandemic has compounded child care challenges for women in film. On the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, we welcome Reel Families’ Heather and Sean McQuillan and the report’s author, Susan Brinton, to talk about why the industry should be trying to keep more women in the workforce.

TekSavvy and its affiliate cable company Hastings Cable Vision, have announced the coast-to-coast rollout of TekSavvy TV in select regions of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C., Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and New Brunswick. Eligible TekSavvy residential Internet customers with a minimum download speed of 15 mbps can subscribe to TekSavvy TV starting at $20/month for basic service and then add theme packages or choose their own channels with TekSavvy TV Pick Packs. The service offers over 150 live HD channels, cloud based PVR service for an additional monthly charge, video on demand, lookback & restart, and the ability to watch selected channels on the go on phones and tablets. 

Rogers is the first cable provider in Canada to bring Vevo to its cable subscribers. The streaming app, hosting music video content, is now available to Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream customers. Best known for providing music videos to YouTube, Vevo is expanding its over-the-top (OTT) distribution to meet increasing consumer demand to stream music video content on connected TVs. Rob Christensen, Vice-President, Advanced Television, Vevo, says the Rogers partnership will also open new revenue channels. Read more here.

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival has announced that 10 films—seven features and three shorts—have received development and production grants totalling $245,000 from the CrossCurrents Canada Doc Fund. The fund, established with the support of Netflix, was launched in 2018 and supports a diversity of voices and perspectives. The five-year initiative is meant to address systemic barriers and opportunity gaps that exist within the documentary film community. Read more about this year’s funded projects, here.

The Rockie Awards International Program Competition is now open to entries across all genres including scripted, non-fiction, digital, kid’s content and podcasts. New for 2022 is a Music Video category and Interactive categories now include video game entries. Category winners, as well as the Grand Jury Prize and other special prizes, will be announced during the Banff World Media Festival on June 14.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

Apple is introducing the Apple Music Voice Plan, a new Apple Music subscription tier designed around Siri that offers subscribers access to the service’s catalog of 90 million songs; thousands of playlists, personalized mixes, and genre stations; as well as Apple Music Radio for USD $4.99/month. Once subscribed to the Apple Music Voice Plan, users can request music across all of their Siri-enabled devices, including HomePod mini, AirPods, iPhone, or any other Apple device, and when using CarPlay. Accompanying the launch, Apple Music is adding hundreds of new playlists fully optimized just for voice. The Apple Music Voice Plan will be available later this fall in 17 countries, including Canada and the U.S., Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, and the UK.

TSN is expanding TSN 5G View – its in-app feature powered by Bell’s mobile 5G network – to the network’s coverage of Toronto Raptors home games. Raptors fans who subscribe to TSN on the Bell 5G network with a 5G device can use the tech to control their viewing angle on every play from their mobile device, with zoom, pause, rewind, and slow motion, as well as nearly 360° replay capabilities. TSN 5G View also continues to be available for TSN’s live regional hockey coverage of Montréal Canadiens home games and Toronto Maple Leafs home games.

Torstar has announced that Mainstreet Research has become an equity partner with iPolitics. Under the partnership, Mainstreet will contribute to iPolitics political and public policy coverage of federal and provincial affairs, including future elections. With a track record of accurately predicting election results at the national, provincial and municipal levels, Mainstreet helped iPolitics launch the Electionometer during the recent federal election, a polling dashboard that allowed subscribers to view polling activity and results in real time.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

Canadian Broadcast Standards Council’s (CBSC) most recent decision reaffirms that getting the story right is more important than getting it first. Broadcast by NTV in St. John’s, NL on April 26 during the 6 p.m. NTV Evening Newshour, the report contained inaccurate dates regarding a murder and sentencing. NTV acknowledged the errors and apologized, explaining that the incorrect information reflected a rush to get the story to air. While unintentional, the CBSC found NTV in contravention of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics and the Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada’s (RTDNA) Code of Journalistic Ethics. Read more here.

CBC News, Current Affairs and Local, is making climate change a priority area of coverage under the banner “Our Changing Planet,” before and after this year’s 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Oct. 31 to Nov. 12. The public broadcaster has designated climate as a national beat and placed it under the editorship of a new senior producer, Anand Ram. A dedicated international climate reporting team will also be established with increased prominence on the CBC News website and app.

Cogeco is reiterating its commitment to climate action and its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The first telecommunications company in Canada to have its targets approved by the SBTi, Cogeco’s is aiming for a 65% reduction in emissions from its operations by 2030 (compared to 2019 levels).

Connection 2021, the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) virtual conference, Nov. 3-4, will focus on how television and radio stations can “thrive and survive” in a challenging time for the industry. Chris Byrnes, the event’s conference chair for the last decade, says when OAB reached out to its member stations across the province, the message was loud and clear that broadcasters are looking for tools to help them cope as businesses slowly emerge from COVID-19 restrictions. Choosing to host a virtual event has allowed OAB to tap a wider range of speakers, with the two-day event including sessions and panel discussions targeting staff from sales to brand management, promotions, news, and production. Read more here.

Canadian Journalism Foundation’s (CJF) J-Talks Live webcast on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. ET, will discuss recent hateful targeting of journalists – predominantly women of colour – and how for columnists, who share their opinions for a living, this isn’t a new issue. Featured will be newspaper columnists Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun; Shree Paradkar, Toronto Star and Elizabeth Renzetti, The Globe and Mail, exploring contemporary challenges faced by columnists, in conversation with Anna Maria Tremonti. Register here for the free virtual event.

The Toronto Star is supporting the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB), a pioneering non-profit newsroom based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, with a further $100,000 contribution. The IJB, which launched last fall in partnership with the Dalla Lana School’s journalism programs – the Fellowship in Global Journalism and the Certificate in Health Impact, brings together professional and student journalists, academics, researchers and media organizations to tell deeply reported stories in the public interest. The Toronto Star was the founding media partner of the IJB, conceived by Star investigative journalist Robert Cribb. To date, nearly 20 IJB investigative pieces have been published in the Star.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

Audacy has announced its acquisition of an exclusive, perpetual license to WideOrbit’s digital audio streaming technology and the related assets and operations of WO Streaming, a digital revenue and audience expansion solution that helps terrestrial broadcasters monetize streaming content via direct-sold campaigns, WideOrbit’s ad sales partners, and its programmatic digital audio platform. Audacy operated as Entercom Communications for more than five decades – the second-largest radio ownership group in the U.S. with 235 terrestrial stations – up until this past March. The company’s rebrand reflects its ongoing push into the digital space. Audacy will operate WO Streaming under the name AmperWave. Read more here.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is permanently integrating its annual Radio Show into the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Jointly produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau and NAB, the show’s planned 2020 appearance in Nashville and 2021 New Orleans event, were both cancelled, in addition to a plan to co-locate the show in Las Vegas this fall. NAB Joint Board Chair David Santrella said in an NAB release that the value of attending NAB Show cannot be overstated for radio groups, as essentially multimedia companies. “We are now streaming and podcasting and even producing video. NAB Show provides unparalleled access to the critical tools, knowledge and connections we need to grow and thrive in today’s media business,” said Santrella.

The 75th annual Broadcast Engineering & Information Technology (BEIT) Conference will premiere as video-on-demand (VOD) content in early November and be available for purchase exclusively on NABAmplify.com. Along with access to the majority of presentations originally planned for the 2021 NAB Show via VOD, viewers will receive access to the full set of papers compiled in the Proceedings of the 75th BEIT Conference. The 2021 conference’s forward-looking focus emphasizes the use of next-generation systems throughout the media-delivery ecosystem, with technical presentations covering topics such as the ongoing transition to IT- and IP-based systems and incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning in broadcast technology. 

Nautel is addressing global travel restrictions and time restraints in conducting Factory Acceptance Testing for new transmitters with a new online FAT program. FAT is a set of pre-defined tests that many customers must witness being completed in real-time as part of project specifications. Nautel is leveraging the capabilities of online meeting platforms, paired with virtual communications interfaces like Teams or Team Viewer, to allow customers to witness transmitter testing in real-time as part of their final acceptance process. The Nautel AUI and multiple pieces of measurement equipment are employed along with a suite of cameras, wireless microphones and personnel to conduct the tests. Customers are able to communicate with their transmitter(s) via the AUI and view performance measurements throughout the final testing process.

Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) formally invites you to its 71st annual (virtual) convention

It is my pleasure and honour, along with my executive and volunteer chairs, to formally invite you to WABE’s 71^st annual (virtual) convention, taking place Nov. 3^rd and 4^th.  These two days will be full of on-line papers, virtual exhibits, and networking opportunities. 

Media technical professionals must always do more with less and often do not have the time, resources, or access to specialized training and in their field. Part of the attraction of WABE is the educational papers that inform and grow our delegates knowledge on technology in an affordable, local, and personal convention. The intimate setting allows delegates the ability to access technical presentations and communicate with the exhibitors, without having to fly a long distance or pay large convention fees. This year, the virtual convention delegate registration fee is $50. The WABE Exhibit floor is always filled with new and emerging media technologies that allow delegates to explore, learn and network with people who can help you keep your knowledge fresh, your company competitive and your department moving forward. Visit our website to view the convention and papers schedule, along with our list of exhibitors and sponsors.

You can access our online registration system on our WABE website by clicking the link below. Make sure to register by Thursday, Oct. 28^th. (Any registrations received after that date cannot be guaranteed to receive convention site login credentials prior to the start of the convention.)

Rob Brown, WABE President